Abdominal exercise devices are known in the art. For example, U.S. patent application publication 2007/0027008 of Levinson et al. describes an abdominal exercise device including an upper abdominal lever member a lower abdominal lever member connected by with spring-biased resistance hubs, wherein operation of the lever members when rotated about the resistance hubs provides a scissor-like movement of respective upper and lower lever members connected to the resistance hub. However, such devices are very limited in the variety of exercises it permits, since the lever members are singular members. Also, while Levinson does allude to interchangeable resistance hubs pairs of varying resistance or tension, the apparatus must be disassembled and reassembled to effect each change of hubs and does not allow for a facile change of resistance during an exercise routine. Additionally, in such an apparatus the components required to change tension can be easily lost or misplaced.
In another example U.S. Pat. No. 6,080,090 to Taylor et al. describes a folding portable exercise apparatus having a single padded U-bar and a single padded lap bar, wherein two pairs of length-adjustable telescoping rods connect the bars and each pair of telescoping rods is joined by a coil spring. While U.S. Pat. No. 7,341,547 to Liao describes an exercise apparatus having a base, a head member, two first mounting members, and two handles. The base includes a main portion, and two arm portions extending from opposite ends of the main portion. Such apparatuses are very limited in that they each fail to provide a means for a user to conveniently vary resistance and each design permits only limited exercise options.
Therefore, the abdominal fitness devices known in the art have the following drawbacks that and required improvements.
Since the resistance of such devices is fixed or not easily adjustable without disassembly, a user cannot make appropriate rapid adjustments of resistance during a training routine or for different training regimes. Furthermore, the devices having a single thigh leaning bar are designed for a user to lift both legs simultaneously thereby limiting the variety of exercises that can be performed.
Therefore, a need exists for an abdominal fitness apparatus that allows users to make rapid adjustments to enable a variety of training modes. A further need exists for a portable apparatus that provides easily adjustable resistance without disassembly, such that users may rapidly and easily vary resistance during a training regime. A still further need exists for an apparatus that permits exercising each leg individually as well each side of the abdominal area individually.
The present invention address these as well as other needs.